The Italian Senate has definitively approved Bill AS 1308, which was approved in November by the Chamber under the name AC 30. The bill will introduce amendments to the criminal code, the criminal procedure code, and other provisions for the integration and harmonization of regulations on crimes against animals, including dogfighting. Humane World for Animals Italy (formerly called Humane Society International Italy) and Fondazione Cave Canem, the organizations promoting the “Io non combatto” project, warmly welcome the news.
The bill, primarily sponsored by Hon. Michela Vittoria Brambilla, introduces important reforms including a modification to Title IX bis of the criminal code, substituting “Crimes against animals” for the phrase “Crimes against the human sentiment toward animals.” The revision seeks to clarify that the object of legal protection is the animals themselves, not the human whose sensibility may be offended by acts of cruelty.
Additionally, the bill increases penalties for the killing of animals “for cruelty or without necessity,” animal mistreatment, and, as emphasized by the two organizations, violations of the ban on unauthorized animal fighting or competitions (Art. 3). In the latter case, the custodial sentence is increased from one to three years to two to four years. Furthermore, those who participate in these criminal activities in any capacity will be punished with imprisonment from three months to two years and a fine ranging from 5,000 to 30,000 euros.
Article 4 also introduces aggravating circumstances in crimes against animals, increasing penalties when the offense is committed in the presence of minors or against multiple animals, or in the case of any perpetrator who disseminates, via digital or electronic tools, images, videos, or other representations of the committed act.
Article 6 introduces the possibility of permanently assigning animals who have been seized or confiscated to authorized associations or entities, upon payment of a bond or security deposit for each animal assigned by the interested association. Through Article 10, the practice of keeping dogs chained, often linked to dogfighting and previously prohibited only under some regional laws, becomes illegal at the national level, except in cases where it is mandated “for documented health reasons or temporary security needs.”
Federica Faiella, president of Fondazione Cave Canem, says: “The recently approved bill marks a significant step forward for all those who dedicate themselves every day to the protection of animals. It is a strong signal that strengthens the recognition of animals as sentient beings, deserving of direct protection. It also represents a concrete evolution on an operational level, particularly for the management of animals who are victims of crimes, taken from criminal circuits, and placed under judicial seizure. I’m especially thinking of the dogs involved in fighting: this law finally recognizes their right to be immediately placed on a path of psychological and physical recovery and, where possible, welcomed into a family setting. This avoids the paradox of animals saved from abuse who remain trapped in the judicial system for years, confined to detention facilities.
Expectations were high, perhaps even extremely high, especially regarding some specific actions that, unfortunately, were not included in the final text. However, I believe that any improvement in the law should be welcomed with enthusiasm, optimism, and as a push to do even better and not stop here.”
Alessandro Fazzi, institutional relations consultant for Humane World for Animals Italy, comments: “The final approval of AS 1308 represents another important step in the protection of animals in Italy. We’ve made further progress towards the full recognition of non-human animals as sentient beings and victims of crimes, finally overcoming the outdated concept of exclusively protecting the ‘human sentiment’ towards them. We are pleased with the increase in penalties for dogfighting, a criminal activity that we have been combating for years through the ‘Io non combatto’ project, and the expansion of penalties to anyone participating in dogfighting in any capacity. We hope that it will soon be possible to intervene to offer even greater protection for minors, and also to introduce specific social rehabilitation programs for all those who commit crimes against animals, starting with those who participate in dog fights. By combining these requests with what has been approved today, our country will be able to take truly significant steps toward a more advanced legal civilization.”
Fondazione Cave Canem and Humane World for Animals Italy express their regret over the senate’s failure to approve amendment 6.0.2, primarily sponsored by Senator Anna Bilotti, which would have allocated funds for the specialized training of Carabinieri personnel involved in the suppression of animal fights, as well as covering the costs of custody resulting from the seizure and confiscation of animals. The two organizations firmly believe in the importance of specialized training for law enforcement agencies and appropriate rehabilitation programs for the animals, as essential tools to prevent and combat the phenomenon of animal fighting.
Senator Anna Bilotti (M5S) states: “The approval of Bill AS 1308 can be considered a step forward, but it is certainly not enough. We missed the opportunity to make it truly effective, as shown by the rejection of the amendment I sponsored, which would have guaranteed concrete resources to train law enforcement and cover the costs of custody for animals seized in dogfighting cases. Without tools like this, we risk having stricter laws on paper but ineffective in reality. We will continue to fight so that animal protection is not just a flag to wave, but a tangible commitment: we need funds, training, and justice that does not leave behind the victims, both human and non-human, of these cruelties.”
Humane World for Animals also expresses its disappointment over the failure to approve amendment 10.0.2, which was declared inadmissible. This amendment, primarily sponsored by Senator Dolores Bevilacqua, would have introduced a ban on the import, export, and re-export of hunting trophies from animals protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Humane World for Animals works to end this cruel international industry rooted in the killing of rare, dangerous or charismatic wild animals abroad for fun to bring their body or parts back home as trophies.
Senator Dolores Bevilacqua (M5S) concludes: “The majority dismissed every amendment proposed by the opposition, including the one I sponsored to ban the import and export of hunting trophies from endangered species, because it was deemed irrelevant to the subject of the law. This justification frankly seems like an excuse: how can a proposal to ban the importation of elephant heads or leopard skins be ‘irrelevant’ in a bill that aims to combat cruelty towards animals? If fighting the inhumane and commercial lethal exploitation of imperiled wild animals for entertainment—for obtaining a trophy—is not relevant, then what is? The truth is that this amendment was troublesome: it would have closed the taps of a cruel business that benefits a few extremely wealthy hunters with a colonial mindset, with severe penalties and serious controls.
Now, as the Government and the majority prepare their reform to liberalize hunting, the risk is that trophies from endangered animals will enter our country even more easily, or that threatened species will be hunted here to export their trophies. But we will not give up: we will carry this battle to every possible forum, because the defense of biodiversity and animal welfare cannot be considered ‘irrelevant’ to any law on animal protection worthy of the name.”
